Your handy guide to some of the terms and words you might hear at UAL.
Here at the Arts SU Advice team, we understand that university words and phrases can be pretty confusing; it’s like learning a whole new language!
We’ve put together a list of some of the most frequently misunderstood terms from the UAL vocabulary.
Appeal
In general terms, an appeal is when you ask for a decision to be reviewed, and provide more evidence in your favour.
As a UAL student, the most common type of appeal that you will hear discussed is an Academic Appeal. The UAL Academic Appeals process gives students the chance to ask the exam board to look again at their decision and consider new information that they may have been unaware of at the time.
Academic Appeals can be made don the basis of Extenuating Circumstances or Material Irregularity that impacted your ability to submit your best work. A successful appeal may result in a resubmission opportunity. This is not a chance to have your original work re-marked or grade changed.
There are other types of non-academic appeals that you may need advice on during your time at UAL, for example Withdrawal Appeals or HWSS Appeals.
The Arts SU Advice Service can advise on all Appeals processes, and can provide feedback on your written appeal and any evidence you are planning to submit.
Authorised Absence
You should apply for an Authorised Absence any time you know in advance you will be unable to attend a timetabled session. We also recommend telling your course team if you are likely to be absent for any period of time. You may like to read the UAL Attendance policy to find out more about the Authorised Absence process and when to use it.
You can apply for an Authorised Absence in 2 ways:
- Log onto the SEAtS website and use the 'Add Absence' icon.
- Download the SEAtS app. Use 'Requests' to apply for Authorised Absence.
All students can use SEAtS to request Authorised Absence, but not all courses will use it to record your attendance. Your course team will let you know how to register your attendance.
Complaint
Sometimes the student experience doesn’t meet expectations. There are a number of informal and formal ways for you to provide feedback to UAL.
A formal complaint follows UAL’s complaints procedure, and should taken seriously and dealt with fairly. Making a complaint will not affect any decisions made about a student’s future academic progress and does not affect their student rights.
The Arts SU Advice Service can advise on submitting a complaint to UAL.
Disciplinary Code
UAL’s Disciplinary Code for Students outlines the expected conduct and behaviour for all UAL students. All students agree to follow the disciplinary code when they accept their place on their course.
Students who are alleged to have broken the Disciplinary code may be subject to disciplinary proceedings. The Arts SU Advice Service can provide advice for students engaging in the disciplinary process.
Exam Board
The Exam Board makes administrative decisions about a student’s academic progress. After a student’s work is marked, the Exam Board meets to finalise grades, then publish results letters.
The Exam Board are responsible for offering resubmissions, retakes, and applying grade caps. The Exam Board may also decide that a student will not be offered any further submission opportunities, for example if a student fails their retake unit.
If you would like to know when the Exam Board is meeting to finalise your grade, check the ‘My Assessments’ tab on your Student Portal, or ask your Programme Administrator.
Extenuating Circumstances
Extenuating Circumstances (ECs) are defined as circumstances which are unexpected, significantly disruptive and beyond your control, and which may have affected your ability to meet an assessment deadline or the level of your performance at assessment.
If you are experiencing ECs, you can submit an EC claim through your Student Portal up until 2 weeks prior to the Exam Board meeting to finalise your grade. If you would like to know when the Exam Board is meeting to finalise your grade, check the ‘My Assessments’ tab on your Student Portal, or ask your Programme Administrator.
An accepted EC claim will allow you to submit up to seven days late without a late penalty, and will also allow you to resubmit your work at a later date, as if you were submitting it for the first time.
For more information, check out Extenuating Circumstances.
Individual Support Agreement (ISA)
An ISA sets out the reasonable adjustments you need for your studies. For example, this could include additional time for assignments, or ways in which information needs to be provided to you by your course team.
You do not necessarily need to have a diagnosis in order to receive an ISA, but it needs to be issued by UAL’s Disability Service | UAL, based on the assessment of a Disability Advisor.
You and your Disability Adviser will agree who to share the ISA with.
Resubmission
A resubmission is when you have a chance to submit work again at a later date. Your Programme Administrator will be able to tell you when the resubmission date is, and if the brief has changed at all.
The arrangements for reassessment will be given to you in writing. They should include:
- Details of the assignment(s) to be resubmitted
- Where/ how to hand in the work
- Arrangements for access to any specialist facility or workshop (where appropriate).
Resubmissions can be either referrals or deferrals.
Referral
A referral is a resubmission that has been offered (usually in the Exam Board results letter) to allow a student another opportunity to pass the unit. This is usually when the student submitted work too late, did not submit work, or the work they submitted did not receive a passing grade.
Referrals will often include a grade cap, meaning your final grade will be an entire letter grade lower than the grade given during the marking process. You will be notified of this on your results letter.
Deferral
A deferral is a resubmission that will be graded as if it was the first submission. This means there will be no grade cap.
Deferrals are offered to students with accepted EC claims relating to the most recent submission. You will be notified of this on your results letter.
If your work received a passing grade in the original submission, you can still use your deferral to resubmit. The higher grade of the two submissions will be your final grade.
Retake
Students may be asked to retake a unit if they have not passed on two previous attempts (for example, if work submitted at submission and resubmission received fail grades), and didn’t have a valid EC claim.
A retake will be offered by the Exam Board in a results letter. Students will need to pay fees for any retakes.
All units must be passed before a student can progress to the next stage. As such, students cannot progress to the next academic stage whilst also enrolling for required retakes.
If a student fails their retake, the exam board may decide they can no longer continue their course.
Time Out
The University allows students to take a break from their studies, for either a full year or a partial year, in certain circumstances. These circumstances may include medical concerns, family matters, or other personal reasons.
There is a process for requesting Time Out, and students need to meet certain criteria. UAL’s Student Guide to Requesting Time Out is really helpful, and you may also like to read the Advice Service’s Time Out from Study page.
Withdrawal
A student who leaves UAL without completing their studies is withdrawn from their course. This may be the student’s choice, for example, if they decide they do not want to complete their course.
UAL may withdraw a student for a number of reasons, including failure to:
An international student who has been withdrawn will also have their student visa revoked. Students will be notified of this by UAL and UKVI. For advice on any visa or immigration issues, please contact UAL’s Student Advice Service.